On Tuesday evening Walsall played host to fellow Sky Bet League One outfit Oldham Athletic in the Second Round of this season's CheckaTrade Trophy tournament, with a match against Mansfield Town awaiting the winner.
WALSALL
MacGillivray; Kinsella, McCarthy, Preston, Toner, Laird; Dobson, Cuvelier, Osbourne; Jackson, Bakayoko
SUBS | Etheridge; Edwards, K.Roberts, Sangha, Moussa, Ginnelly, Makris
SUBS | Etheridge; Edwards, K.Roberts, Sangha, Moussa, Ginnelly, Makris
OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Ripley, Law, Burgess, Clarke, Dunne, Fane, Banks, McLaughlin, Flynn, Ladapo, Mckay
SUBS | Kettings, Wilson, Dummigan, Croft, Winchester, Osei, Erwin
SUBS | Kettings, Wilson, Dummigan, Croft, Winchester, Osei, Erwin
Ahead of kick-off, Walsall were yet to taste defeat in this season's EFL Trophy competition as they ended the First Round group stage with a perfect record, defeating Grimsby Town, Sheffield United and Leicester City's U23 side along the way.
The Latics finished their group stage in second place, four points behind leaders Carlisle United, having won, drawn and lost on their way to five points.
With Bradford City to come at the weekend, Walsall manager Jon Whitney made a few changes for Tuesday's match with Craig MacGillivray, Florent Cuvelier, Isaiah Osbourne and Simeon Jackson among the players to slot into the side.
The Saddlers took the lead with one-minute of the first-half remaining as the in-form Amadou Bakayoko grabbed his sixth EFL Trophy goal of the campaign with a 20-yard strike, a superb finish from Ama who continues to make the so-called 'Checkatrade Trophy' his own.
Oldham went on to level the score with just over twenty-minutes of the game remaining as Lee Croft found space around twenty-five yards from goal and unleashed a thunderous strike into the bottom corner of MacGillivray's net, a superb strike to get his side back on level terms.
The Latics soon got themselves into the lead as Cameron Burgess headed home from an Ollie Banks cross, Burgess' second goal in two games and enough to take his side a step closer to the next round of the competition.
Walsall fell further behind with a minute of normal time remaining as second-half substitute Lee Erwin received the ball following an Ousmane Fane drive, cut inside Kevin Toner and sent the ball past MacGillivray into the far corner.
The match was a competitive affair with both teams creating some good chances and displaying plenty of attacking football, just a shame it took place in such a poorly planned tournament.
Congratulations to the Latics who advance in the competition, on to Bradford for the Saddlers.
The Latics finished their group stage in second place, four points behind leaders Carlisle United, having won, drawn and lost on their way to five points.
With Bradford City to come at the weekend, Walsall manager Jon Whitney made a few changes for Tuesday's match with Craig MacGillivray, Florent Cuvelier, Isaiah Osbourne and Simeon Jackson among the players to slot into the side.
The Saddlers took the lead with one-minute of the first-half remaining as the in-form Amadou Bakayoko grabbed his sixth EFL Trophy goal of the campaign with a 20-yard strike, a superb finish from Ama who continues to make the so-called 'Checkatrade Trophy' his own.
Early in the second half the attendance was confirmed to be just 925, which made the game the first Walsall had played in front of a sub-1000 crowd since 1945 and the lowest attended game in the club's history.
Oldham went on to level the score with just over twenty-minutes of the game remaining as Lee Croft found space around twenty-five yards from goal and unleashed a thunderous strike into the bottom corner of MacGillivray's net, a superb strike to get his side back on level terms.
The Latics soon got themselves into the lead as Cameron Burgess headed home from an Ollie Banks cross, Burgess' second goal in two games and enough to take his side a step closer to the next round of the competition.
Walsall fell further behind with a minute of normal time remaining as second-half substitute Lee Erwin received the ball following an Ousmane Fane drive, cut inside Kevin Toner and sent the ball past MacGillivray into the far corner.
The match was a competitive affair with both teams creating some good chances and displaying plenty of attacking football, just a shame it took place in such a poorly planned tournament.
Congratulations to the Latics who advance in the competition, on to Bradford for the Saddlers.
CHECKATRADE TROPHY- SECOND ROUND | RESULT
WALSALL 1 OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3
HT | 1-0
GOALS | Bakayoko (44') - Croft (69'), Burgess (73'), Erwin (89')
REFEREE | Nigel Miller (County Durham)
ATTENDANCE | 925 (71 Oldham)
GOALS | Bakayoko (44') - Croft (69'), Burgess (73'), Erwin (89')
REFEREE | Nigel Miller (County Durham)
ATTENDANCE | 925 (71 Oldham)